The Scarlet Ibis
 Describe
your relationship with your
sibling(s). What was it like when you
were children? How about now? Is there a
difference between being the older or
younger child? If you do not have a
sibling, reflect upon why you would or
would not want to have one.
In a short story (“The Scarlet Ibis”)….
 I can identify and define vocabulary
words that are new to me.
 I can analyze characters.
 I can understand theme(s).
 I can identify and analyze setting
 I can analyze selected events
 I can define and explain symbolism
“I DID NOT KNOW THEN THAT PRIDE IS
A WONDERFUL , TERRIBLE THING.”
 Born
on a farm by the sea in Jacksonville, NC in
1922
 Served in the United States Army for 3 years
during World War II.
 He had studied to become a chemical
engineer, but he preferred music and became
a student at the Juilliard School of Music in New
York.
 Aiming for a career as an opera singer, he
traveled to and lived in Rome, Italy, for further
study, living there for four years.
 In
1951-1984 worked at the international
department of Chase Manhattan Bank, New
York.
 He wrote short stories in his spare time at the
bank
 “The Scarlet Ibis” was his first short story to
appear in a major magazine, Atlantic Monthly,
where it was a hit.
 None of his other stories ever achieved fame.
 Roaring
1920's (1918-1929)
 World War I, a.k.a “The Great War”
 The Progressive Movement (1900-1918) .
This story is set in 1918, when America was
involved in World War I. The narrator and his
brother lived in a rural area where the sole source of
entertainment was the great outdoors. The narrator
tells about his childhood relationship with his brother
who is expected to die. The younger brother does
not die. And here the story begins…
BROTHER:
The narrator in
this story who is presumably
an adult recalling certain
events in his childhood.
DOODLE:
The younger
brother who is born a very
sickly child, and is not
expected to live many months
 Definition: uses
symbols to represent
qualities or ideas.
 A symbol is a person, animal, place,
activity, or object that stands for
something beyond itself.
 Example:







What do these mean to you?
The scarlet ibis
Black clouds
Blighted son
Winged character
The bleeding tree
Dead/Dying crops
Sleep
A
comparison between two things using
the words “like” or “as.”
Example:
“She was as quiet as a mouse.”
“He sank like a stone.”
“You are as pretty as a picture!”
A
figure of speech that makes a
comparison between two things that are
not alike, but that have something in
common.
 Do not use like or as, instead use is.
Example: “All the world is a stage.”
“I am the Walrus.”
“Life is a highway.”


Listen to the lyrics of the songs “You Make Me Smile” by
Uncle Kracker and follow along with the printed lyrics.
Write down as many examples of symbolism, metaphor,
and simile as you can find!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkCL
Bj7nKPY&list=PLPdjxiq1Xtp0zJvySLDG6U
BxBAGdDaqwP
Rules:
 Follow along in your text book as we read
“The Scarlet Ibis.”
 We will be popcorn reading.
 When your name is called, please be
prepared to read for at least 3 sentences,
and then select the next reader.
 Please select someone who has not read.
Once everyone has read at least once, we
make a second round.
Read the first two paragraphs on pages 199
silently. Then, answer the following
questions:
1. What is literally meant by the phrase
“clove of seasons”?
2. Write down all words with negative
associations
3. List all of the words associated with
death
 You
will be split up into groups and given
a graphic organizer over one of the
following topics:
 Character-1
 Imagery-2
 Symbolism-3
 Metaphors-4
 Similes-5
 Use
the book to pull specific examples of
your topic to fill out in your organizer.
 All
groups must highlight the top 3-5
most important examples their group
found to share with the class
 1. According
to the narrator, what kind of
crazy is Doodle?
 What
can you infer from the statement
that “Mama and Daddy decided they
might as well name him?” explain.
 3. Why
is Doodle’s official name, William
Armstrong, like tying a big tail on a small
kite?
 This
is an example of what literary
element?
 4. what
clues to the story’s ending are
revealed with the use of the past tense
and the comment about the tombstone?
Explain.
 5. how
does Aunt Nicey’s opinion of
Doodle differ from that of the rest of the
family?
 1.
What qualities does the Ibis exhibit?
 In
what ways does doodle share those
qualities?
 Why
do you think Hurst chose to title his
work “The Scarlet Ibis?”
 What
symbols of death pervade the text?